It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

oystercatcher

Yategirl wrote: »

query: when you add the boiling water to the pan with the oats (etc).. do you put heat underneath??? if not... why not do it all in a bowl and save on the washing up?!

Yes, I do heat it up for maybe a minute or so. It needs quite vigorous stirring to prevent lumps.
You could probably get away with making it in a bowl but I prefer my oats well cooked.

The main problem is DH wandering in and stealing MY water from the kettle to make his coffee, then I add cold and it takes at least a minute longer !!:mad:

Yategirl

ah I see! I'll let you off then

I do measure out when making porridge... not tried getting it ready the night before though..

oystercatcher

elizabunny wrote: »

Oystercatcher -I love your 'plonk' method, it's much like mine, although you are far more accurate than me:o .

I've found if I don't measure it accurately then it comes out too watery or two thick and it's really difficult to add more water/oats to make it right.

I couldn't make porridge the night before a) I'm just not organised. but b) I wouldn't know the night before if I was going to be in a porridge mood or a toast mood ! I just can't get into this meal planning ahead stuff!

Oystercatcher

MSHAWX

Just discovered this thread. It's great - just what I need to help keep me on the straight and narrow.
I have to admire everyones self disipline (only read to page 6 - will read more later) Self disipline is not my strong point and I need to put stratages in place to cope with it.

I have worked out how much it will cost to run the house and think I can cover it with my 2 pensions. However in order to have 'luxuries' (which were taken for granted before) I need to cut back as much as possible.

so:
Growing my own is definately on the cards this year.
We use the woodburner all day as the wood doesn't cost me anything

but:
Has anyone got any experience of cooking on a woodburner - not a raeburn or aga just a woodburner that heats the house. It is quite large and gives out a tremendous amount of heat. At the moment I have got the 'chickens vegetables' on it to see what happens.
We were one of the 'savers' after a lifetime of work. We were hoping to take life easy but now with everything going wrong I am having to cut back as much as possible.

I remember years ago visiting my mother when she was alive and we had just lost Dad -she was living off her savings. She went back to a 'war mentality' She would boil the kettle in the morning and put the excess in a flask for later. Washing up water - she would tilt the bowl so that she didn't use as much water. She heated one room (used a early version of a woodburner with a back boiler) She filled her freezer with paper towels when it wasn't full. We felt very sorry for her but now I can understand where she was coming from. Fortunately we were in a position to help her financially but she never quite shrugged off the 'saving' mentality.

Back to the woodburner - does anyone cook on theirs?

mardatha

Oh stoppit, yer all making me cry! Porridge should be made with cold water, then simmered for 6 minutes !!
sobbing here !!

anguk

ceridwen wrote: »

Conclusion - I'd have to go to my savings (errr...havent got any yet) or get help from my family (I'm an adult now - blow that anyway!) or do a bit of "work on the side". Those would be the 3 options. Well - I guess people on benefits have managed previously by some sort of combination of those 3 options to "boost up" benefit money to be able to manage - but, with the increasing rate at which "hits" are coming it will very soon be the case that many people will be on benefits and none of those 3 options will be available to them:
- their savings (if they have any) will have gone
- even little "work on the side" jobs might be difficult to get
- families might not be in a position to help out if they wanted to (having been hit themselves)

The problem with those 3 options is if you take any one of them your meagre benefit would be reduced or stopped if it's income based. If you've got savings your benefit may be reduced, if you do a little work on the side you're committing fraud and if family help you out it's classed as income.

You can't win really.

oystercatcher

mardatha wrote: »

Oh stoppit, yer all making me cry! Porridge should be made with cold water, then simmered for 6 minutes !!
sobbing here !!

But with my way I get a very valuable five extra minutes in bed !

Oystercatcher

lilac_lady

Why are you all sweetening your porridge? (especially my fellow Scots!)

oystercatcher

lilac_lady wrote: »

Why are you all sweetening your porridge? (especially my fellow Scots!)

Because otherwise it tastes revolting like thick wallpaper paste!!
I use sweetener not sugar. It isn't natural but doesn't add calories.

Oystercatcher

adouglasmhor

lilac_lady wrote: »

Why are you all sweetening your porridge? (especially my fellow Scots!)

I used to be a salt on porridge guy, but now I will vary it with dried fruit, maple syrup, toasted coconut or honey. If you have nothing more to worry about than how someone else takes their porridge I envy you

Plus I was born right below the Campsies, Grew up in Glasgow I can't really believe it is still seen as some test of national pride to take your porridge unsweetened.